Kumar cooks his Masterchef recipe

Chef Kumar Mahadevan is quite proud of his appearance as guest judge on Australian Masterchef. His menu at Abhi’s details the date of the episode, 14th May 2010.

Filed under: eating out, Signature Series, chef, Indian, Kumar Mahadevan, recipe

Justin North’s Confit miso blue eye, cuttlefish, cauliflower and buckwheat

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve eaten at Bécasse this year. Most of those times, I’ve just sat back and enjoyed myself and haven’t shared them with you. Each of the monthly Cellar Nights, a number of the monthly European Regional degustations, as a guest at the seasonal Producers Lunches, and for a family dinner to celebrate my birthday.

Filed under: eating out, Signature Series, chef, Justin North, recipe, Sydney

Crown Street Cooks : Toko’s Scallops with Jalapeno Sauce

Fundraising was never like this when I was at school! But then again, I didn’t go to school in one of Sydney’s best eat streets.

World famous chefs Mark Best, Kylie Kwong, Bill Granger, Alex Herbert and Luke Nguyen and more than 25 other local restauranteurs have thrown their support behind Crown Street Public School with recipes for Crown Street Cooks.

Filed under: Signature Series, chef, cookbook, Crown Street, recipe, seafood, Sydney

Risotto Masterclass with Alessandro Pavoni

History of Italian Risotto

Risotto literally means “little rice” and is a method of cooking rice using stock, cheese and other ingredients. Risotto, as I know it, is a method of cooking that apparently began in Milan in Lombardia, followed by Piedmont.

Filed under: Masterclass, Signature Series, Alessandro Pavoni, chef, guest writer, Italian, recipe, risotto, Sydney

Rock Lobster Curry: Chef Paisarn Cheewinsiriwat of Chiva-Som

While I haven’t been to Thailand (yet), to try the spa cuisine of Chiva-Som, luxury health resort based in Hua Hi, I was lucky enough to spend some time in the kitchen of Sydney’s Bathers’ Pavilion with Chef Paisarn Cheewinsiriwat, when he visited Australia a couple of months back. And, I was delighted by the ‘healthy harmony’ of his fresh and innovative cuisine.

Filed under: food + travel, Signature Series, Chef Paisarn Cheewinsiriwat, Chiva-Som, curry, lobster, recipe, seafood, spa, Thailand

Year of the PIG?

There are banners flying each side of the main street of Sydney. Later this month will bring in the Lunar New Year. And, then it will be the Chinese Year of the Tiger.

Now, I thought I’d do something different. TIGER is not my year! So, because I’m born a PIG ~ my toast for the Lunar New Year ~ will be BACON

Filed under: Signature Series, Australia, bar, cocktail, Grant Collins, recipe, Sydney

Signature Series: Hakka Martini

 

Once again, food and wine bloggers from all over the world have united to offer up a list of delectable items for the Menu for Hope raffle. For 2009 Menu for Hope 6 and in support of the UN World Food Programme:

Sydney’s — TOKO Restaurant & Bar – will be giving away a AU$200 voucher to sample the new fare and enjoy the finest of Japanese delicacies over cocktails, at iconic Sydney hotspot, on premiere eat street, Crown Street Surry Hills.

Filed under: Signature Series, Australia, bar, cocktail, drink, Menu For Hope, recipe, restaurant, Sydney

Signature Series: Opera Slice

One of my great pleasures in life is enjoying a leisurely high tea. I’ve enjoyed them the world over and I’ve treated myself to the tower of treats when at home in Sydney too.

Last weekend, my friend Kate Carruthers and I, took a stroll around the Rupert Bunny exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW, then rounded off the afternoon with a toast of champagne and the savoury and sweet morsels of afternoon indulgence, followed by coffee, in the Art Gallery of NSW Restaurant.

Filed under: eating out, Signature Series, Art Gallery of NSW, Australia, cake, chef, dessert, French, high tea, Justin Baker, recipe, Sydney, tea

Signature Series: Seafood and Barley Stew from Stefano Manfredi

I have a soft spot for barley. It’s one of those things that returns me to my childhood. It was common at home, while growing up, for mum to add barley in the soups and stews of our family meals. I often think it’s the tastes and textures of our childhood to which we return when we truly need nourishment: (mind body and soul).

I’ve also got a soft spot for the cooking of Chef Stefano Manfredi. Three generations of my family have been comforted by his food. Over the years, his food has enriched our lives when eating out in a number of his restaurants. Stefano is currently cooking at Bells at Killcare and Pretty Beach House. His food is always simply perfect! And, his food nourishes mind, body and soul. 

SEAFOOD AND BARLEY STEW
Orzo alla Marinara
Stefano Manfredi – Bells at Killcare

Serves 6

1kg mussels, washed and de-bearded
1kg vongole, washed well with no sand
2 leatherjackets, filleted and cut into bite-sized pieces
250g calamari, cleaned and cut into thin strips
200g cleaned prawns
6 scallops
4 eschalots, peeled and sliced thinly
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4tbsp fruity extra virgin olive oil
half tsp smoked paprika
quarter tsp chilli powder
1 tsp fennel seed
3 banana chillies, deseeded and halved
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups tomato “passato”
300g pearled barley, washed
300g shelled peas
1 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Steam open the mussels and vongole in a pot and separate them from the liquid. Strain the liquid through a double layer of cheesecloth and reserve. Take all the mussels and vongole from their shells. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottom pot and gently fry the eschalots, garlic, paprika, chilli powder and fennel for a minute. Add the wine, turn up the heat and boil until there is almost no liquid left. Add the reserved shellfish cooking liquor as well as the passato, the banana chillies and a litre of water. Bring to the boil and add the barley. Simmer for 15 minutes then add the peas. Simmer for 10 minutes more then add the fish, calamari, prawns and scallops. Simmer for 5 minutes more then add the cooked shellfish and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir well. Serve hot.

Bells at Killcare
107 The Scenic Road Killcare Beach
Central Coast NSW 2257
Australia

+61 2 4360 2411

www.bellsatkillcare.com.au

and you can follow Chef Stefano Manfredi on Twitter at www.twitter.com/manfredistefano

Filed under: eating out, Signature Series, Australia, chef, Italian, recipe, seafood, Signature Series, Stefano Manfredi

Signature Series: Seared Scampi, Tea Smoked Potato Puree, Braised Cabbage and Bacon with Scampi Bearnaise from Phil Wood

This recipe was on the menu at Rockpool Sydney for a couple of months recently and used at an event they did last month at a resort in New Zealand called The Farm Cape Kidnappers. Rockpool Head Chef, Phil Wood, chose this dish to share on Inside Cuisine because “out of all the crustacea scampi is my favourite by far, raw or cooked”.

Phil generously not only shared the recipe but a little bit about himself “I’m from New Zealand, moved to Australia eight years ago, began my apprenticeship on the Gold Coast, moved to Sydney to work at Tetsuyas, ended up staying there for almost four years and leaving as sous chef. Won the Josephine Pignolet award and used the money to travel to the USA where I worked at the French Laundry for 18 months, came back to Sydney, in March and started working with Neil (Perry) at Rockpool. Love what I do.”

Don’t know about you, but I think you can’t get any better than “Love what I do.” That’s how I want my food cooked!

This recipe is for 60 portions, and as there are a number of components, we haven’t tried to reduce the quantities. Its copied here as it was used at the restaurant.

60 x grade 1 NZ scampi

6 – 8 baby cos, to serve

SCAMPI OIL

500ml/ 60 portions plus

500g scampi shells

500ml vegetable oil

100g tomato paste

Smash the scampi shells.

Fry the shells in a medium sized pot over a very hot flame until well roasted and dry.

Add the tomato paste.

Using a stick blender, emulsify the oil and tomato paste. Simmer over a medium heat until most of the moisture has evaporated, periodically blending so that the oil is constantly remixing.

Remove from the heat and allow to settle, then skim the oil off the top and filter through a cloth.

 SCAMPI BEARNAISE

60 portions

375g egg yolks

40ml béarnaise reduction

150ml scampi stock

150ml scampi oil

225g butter, clarified

75ml single cream

2 gas chargers

Reduction

2 small red eschallots

1 ½ bunches French tarragon

375ml white wine vinegar

375ml dry white wine

8 black peppercorns

 Scampi stock

750g scampi shells

3 fennel bulbs, small dice

1 ½ red onions, small dice

1 ½ carrots, small dice

150g tomato paste

To make the scampi stock, cover the shells with water, add the vegetables and bring to the boil, skimming. Let simmer for 30 minutes, stir the tomato paste through and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Strain through a fine cloth.

To make the béarnaise, whisk the egg yolks, reduction and stock in a wide pan until ribbon stage is achieved.

Gradually emulsify the scampi oil, then butter. If the béarnaise is a little thick, thin it with a little cream.

Pour into an isi and charge with 2 bulbs.

Keep in a warm place.

SMOKED BUTTER

 50g jasmine tea

50g brown sugar

50g white rice

300g unsalted butter

Set up a wok for smoking with the smoking mix.

Once smoking, add 300g butter in a bowl, cover with a lid and smoke for 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat.

SMOKED POTATO PUREE

60 portions

15 medium potatoes, skin on

300g smoked butter

Single cream

Smoked salt

Table salt

Cook the potatoes slowly in a pot of water for around 2 hours or until completely soft.

Pass through a fine mouli into a medium sized pot.

Emulsify the smoked butter and thin it with cream.

Season with smoked salt and table salt and keep warm.

BACON CHIPS

60 portions

600g smoked streaky bacon

Remove the rind from the bacon, slice very thinly on a meat slicer and dehydrate till crisp (in a dehydrater if available)

CABBAGE AND BACON

60 portions

1 Savoy cabbage, chiffonade

2 brown onions, finely diced

30g garlic, finely diced

4 cups white wine

200g bacon

Chicken stock

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

Salt down the cabbage for 1 hour.

In a large pot, heat some olive oil and sweat off the onion, garlic and bacon until soft.

Add the cabbage and wine and reduce.

Cover with chicken stock, bring to a simmer and reduce.

BLANCHED CABBAGE ROLLS

60 portions

3 Savoy cabbages

Remove the outer leaves of the cabbages, remove the ribs and blanch until tender.

Refresh in iced water.

Roll into shape and reheat in a steamer.

Rockpool
107 George Street,
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

+61 (0)2 9252 1888

You can follow Phil Wood on twitter www.twitter.com/phil_ac_wood

www.rockpool.com.au/sydney/rockpool/

Filed under: Signature Series, Australia, chef, Phil Wood, scampi, seafood, Signature Series, smoked, Sydney, tea